A device for cutting wire is known from EP B1-0 210 482. The device is used in particular to cut the wire material exiting from a spark-erosion machine to specific lengths in order to collect the wire representing a waste product and in order to be able to feed the wire for further processing. The known device includes a cutting tool having knives arranged on its periphery, which cutting tool can engage an annular counter-tool. The wire is guided between the two tools and is pinched by the action of the cutting tool and the counter-tool. This results in a deformation of the wire and in the respective wire end piece being torn off. The disadvantage of this device is that, on the one hand, by pinching the wire a complete separation is not always assured so that the individual wire pieces still hang together and that, on the other hand, the areas of separation are irregularly constructed and prevent a compact as possible packing in a receiving receptacle.
The wire is in other known eroding machines introduced into a container and compressed from time to time. This operation requires, on the one hand, greater use of high-tech equipment for compressing the wire and is, on the other hand, susceptible to breakdown since a very compact packing of the wire cannot be accomplished and thus wire areas can result in a loop-like maze.
DE-PS 36 31 888 shows a device for cutting wire, in which a first knife member is arranged stationarily, while a counter-knife is swingingly moved back and forth past a through opening in the knife member. The wire areas to be cut off are in this device deformed because of the action of the counter-knife so that they cannot be collected in a most compact packing in a receiving receptacle. Furthermore, two cutting directions are defined, caused by the swinging back and forth movement of the counter-knife, which directions result in different wire-throwing paths, so that the cut-off wire segments must be caught in a very large catching receptacle. Furthermore, the stepping speed is limited due to the mass of the counter-knife so that this device can only be utilized with relatively slow running eroding machines. A further disadvantage is that the wire can only be threaded manually, which is relatively difficult since the wire must be deflected in the device. A further disadvantage exists due to the relatively great wear of the cutting edges of the counter-knife which cannot be reset or reground.
The basic purpose of the invention is to provide a device of the above-mentioned type, which with a simple design and simple operation enables a reliable cutting of a wire, with which the wire sections can be collected in a most compact packing or position and which can be adjusted to the most different wire-conveying speeds.